For many lovers, the appeal of a long-term relationship is that you always have someone around. You’re never festering in your loneliness, and you always have a buddy to eat dinner with, go out with, or stay in with. Of course, those benefits fail to mention many of the other great things about love and marriage, especially the parts you wouldn’t do with your friends, but you can’t deny that companionship is one of the best perks of the arrangement. 

Just because you have a long-term relationship doesn’t mean you should never hang out with your friends. Your boyfriend or girlfriend can fill that role of «best friend» in your life without your other friends getting left behind. Whenever someone starts to micromanage if their partner is «allowed to» hang out with their friends, it says a lot more about their inability to trust others than the nature of their partner’s friendships.